Metal heel



Oct. 29,v 1935. A. voN HAYN '2,019,373

METAL HEEL Filed Sept. 8, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 17 ,5 le 1P INvENTo/ u E ALBERT voM/f/Ax/N r da( ATToR/VE-YS'.

Oct. 29, 1935. A, VON HAYN 2,019,373

METAL HEEL Filed Sept. 8, 1954 2 SheebSv-Sheet 2 z. Wckwhar ATTO/2HE fs Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATS METAL HEEL Albert von Hayn, Bad Homburg von der Hohe, Hesse-Nassau, Germany Application September 8, 1934, Serial No. '743,200 In France January 3, 1934 9 Claims.

The invention refers to a metal heel which is hollow and which, in place of the usual heels made of leather or wood, may be tted to any kind of footwear.

According to the invention the heel can be made in any form, dimension and execution desired, thus making it suitable for ladies and gentlemens footwear, as well as for military and sports boots or any other line. It is, however, more particularly intended for ladies shoes.

Not only does it advantageously contrast with the usual heels of leather or wood, but also with the metal heels known up to now. Compared with the leatherand wood-heels it oiers the advantage of greater firmness and constancy, as well as absolute unchangeableness. This is first of all noticeable in its appearance, being unaffected by humidity and withstanding any ordinary mechanical strain. More especially this enters into account if, as provided by this invention, the surface of the metal heel, instead of being covered with a lacqueror colour-coating, as customary up to now, undergoes a treatment resulting in a practically unchangeable and indisoluble colouring or metallization. In consequence of its hollow construction the heel, according to the invention, is furthermore appreciably lighter in weight than the usual leatheror wood-heels, particularly if produced of light metal.

Attempts have been made to produce metal heels with the object of fitting them to ladies footwear principally, but those metal heels could not make headway for two reasons: on the one hand the visible surfaces of the heel could not be made to have a pleasant and really durable appearance, and on the other hand the xing of the heels to the shoe became rather expensive and diicult, so much so, that for a manufacturing concern it became practically impossible to be carried through. These two disadvantages are absolutely obvated by the heel forming the object of the present invention. By very simple means the fixing can be effected to last, the heel is light in weight and yet thoroughly stable, the outward surfaces are resistant to a high degree and in appearance they not only come up to the known kinds of heels, but surpass them even by far.

The heel according to the invention thus justies all claims that may be put forward for a really useful metal heel, especially for ladies footwear.

The one part of the problem, the question of the inside equipment and the xing is solved by a number of small tubes being provided inside the hollow heel, that reach from the lower end of the heel, say about from the treading base, straight or sloping up to a point, where the heel touches the fitting base of the shoe, e. g. the inner sole. These small tubes may be formed to become one piece with the heel body, more especially if the heel is produced by the squirtcasting process, or else these tubes may be formed as parts of a fitting to be inserted into the hollow heel. l0

Through the said small tubes fixing pins corresponding in length are passed from below right through the sole of the shoe, where they are bent and securely flattened by say riveting them down.

At the lower end of the heel a treading pad of leather, rubber or the like, is suitably fastened, interchangeable at will. In order to be able to x that treading pad in the usual way, at the lower end of the metal heel a piece of leather or the like is inserted, so as to serve as bed or prop for the treading pad. It has proved suitable to unite the said inserted bed or prop with the heel by means of the aforesaid fixing pins. This is effected by passing these pins through the inserted bed or prop, which preferably has previously been provided with suitable holes.

To increase their stability and at the same time that of the heel as a whole, the said tubes can be joined to one another or else united with the inner wall of the heel by ribs or studs. For the production of the small tubes by the casting process or rather to ameliorate the forming process it may be advisable to slit the small guiding tubes at the side a trifle less than the width of their inner diameter or the diameter of the fixing pins respectively, so that the pin like parts of the body of the form, which during the casting have to keep the inner space of the small tubes open, are connected by a support with the other parts of the body of the form, whereby 40 the exact position of the small tubes is practically secured. Furthermore with that execution the walls of the small tubes may yield somewhat, in case the fixing pins should at one time be chosen slightly thicker than the bore of the small tubes.

The exterior of the heel is, by means of an electro-galvanic process, covered with an insoluble coating, either metallic or otherwise, in one or several colours. The most suitable process for that purpose is known by the name of Eluxation process.

It goes without saying that the outer surface of the heel must not necessarily be perfectly Smooth. It may for technical reasons be supplied also with indentations or projections e. g. for ski boots, or else with plastic ornamentations. With special kinds of ladies shoes it is customary to cover the heel front with an elongation of the treading sole. In order to make this also possible for metal heels of the invention, a corresponding indentation at the heel front may be made with dovetail like chamfered rims preferably, into which the said leather strip may be cemented.

Further details and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following description.

Some examples of execution of the invention are shown in the annexed drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a high heel as well as the neighbouring part of the ladies shoe in vertical section (on the line I-I oi Fig. 3) and at the same time means for securing the heel to the shoe.

Fig. 2 shows the bottom end of the heel as seen from below.

Fig. 3 shows the heel itself as` seen from above.

Fig 4 shows a ladies heel of half height in vertical section.

Fig. 5 shows the top plan of a gentlemans heel.

Fig. 6 shows the vertical section relating thereto on the line B-S of Fig. 5.

Fig'. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing an execution with the small tubes open at the side.

Fig. 8 shows a section of a ladies heel, in which the fixing tubes form part of a constituent or fitting of its own.

Fig. 9 shows this constituent alone as seen from the side,

Fig. 10 the same in front view, and

Fig. l1 the same as seen from below.

Accor-ding to Figs. 1 and 3 the heel consists of a thin walled metal body I, preferably produced by the squirt casting process, which with its upper edge 2 joins the fixing base 3 of the shoe. At a slight distance from the bottom end 4 of the heel a bottom level 5 is fitted. From this level up to the height of edge 2 or rather up to where the respective parts of the heel are meant to lean against the fixing level of the shoe, ribs 6 are fitted, that on their inner border contain obliquely upwardly running channels 6 which are continued downwardly through the bottom level or partition 5. In the indentation or recess that remains between the bottom level 5 and the border 4 I locate an insert or filling piece I5 having four openings that correspond with the mouths of the channels 6 in level 5. The heel is provided with a vaulting passing tov the joint of the shoe which, if needs be, may at 'I have an elongation for support of the arch.

The front of the heel may according to Fig. 2 be supplied with an indentation, recess or groove bounded by dovetail like chamfered rims 9' in which a leather strip or an extension of the treading sole 9 may be cemented when finishing the shoe.

By way of example the fixing of the heel can be effected as follows. Once the heel is brought into the required position relating to the shoe, correspondingly long measured pins ID are driven through the openings of the insert I5 and through the channels 6. This is suitably eifected by a pressure tool 2I. A metal last I9 which at suitable points I6 is rounded oif, serves to turn the points of the pins I0. These bent ends I4 may, if need be, be pressed at by special stamps 20, 20' as shown in Fig. 1.

On the insert I5 a treading pad I8 of one or several parts can now be fixed in the usual way, i. e. by pins I'I' as shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

Fig. 4 requires no further explanation. The details are here correspondingly the same as in the example Figs. 1-3. The only diiference is that Fig. 4 shows the ends I2 of the pins Ill as still in the straight condition. It is understood that the heads I'I of the pins I0 are pressed so deep into the insert I5 that a flat level results for xing the treading pad.

The gentlemans heel according to Figs. 5 and 6 differs in its construction from the aforementioned examples essentially in so far only, that the small tubes 25 are all connected with each other by ribs 21. Consequently the bottom level 5 is not required, since the inserted piece I5 gets suiiicient support at the lower borders of these ribs. In this example the small tubes 25 may all lbe arranged perpendicularly to the ground level.

Fig. '7 differs from Fig. 3 substantially only by the channels 6 being open at one side, as indicated above.

In the example of execution as per Figs. 8-11 the small tubes 6 together with a plate I3 joining them among themselves form an independent constituent or fitting of the heel. The heel I is therefore in this case a simple thin walled hollow body. Independent of the arrangement of the said small tubes set the heel body can be provided with stiilening ribs.

It is not absolutely necessary that the connecting plate I3 be fitted to the bottom end of the small tubes 6". It can also be fitted elsewhere e. g. at the top end. In the latter case it may be made of such a size, as to close like a lid covering or sealing the hollow space of the heel. In this embodiment it will be advisable to allow the bottom ends of the small tubes to protrude into the respective openings of the level 5 so that an exact t of the small tubes-set during the fixing process is warranted.

The outer surface 8 of the heel is either ornamented according to wish or, as indicated, pref,- erably galvanically coloured (eluxed) or metallized.

I claim as my invention:

1. A heel for footwear of all kinds, consisting of a hollow body having a thin wall surrounding an inner space, a supporting structure within. said inner space and separated from said wall, said supporting structure comprising a plurality of guide channel members adapted to having heel attaching pins passed therethrough and reaching from about the ground level of the heel to where the heel comes into contact with the shoe, and means for retaining said guide channel members in their spaced positions.

2. A metal heel for footwear of all kinds consisting of a hollow body having a thin wall surrounding an inner space, tubular guides for pins or nails, said guides being arranged within said inner space and reaching from about the ground level of the heel to where the heel comes into Contact with the shoe, and means located within said inner space, for connecting said guides with each other.

3. A metal heel for footwear of all kinds, comprising in combination a hollow thin-walled body, in said body a bottom level provided with holes and a set of small tubes forming an independent constituent loosely inserted into the hollow space of the body and being of suitable length and arrangement for reaching from the holes provided in the bottom level of the heel body to where the heel comes into contact with the shoe.

4. A metal heel for footwear of all kinds, consisting of a hollow thin-walled body, in the inner space of which relatively thin guide channel members are provided, that reach from about the ground level of the heel to where the heelv comes into contact with the shoe, an indentation being provided at the bottom of the heel Ifor receiving a iilling piece, that has holes corresponding with the end points of the said guide channel members when inserted.

5. A metal heel for footwear of all kinds, consisting of a hollow thin-walled body, in the inner space of which relatively thin guide channel members are arranged, that reach from about the ground level of the heel to where it comes into contact with the shoe, a dovetail like indentation being provided at the front of the heel for receiving a strip of sole leather as a covering.

6. A metal heel for `footwear of all kinds, consisting of a hollow body having a thin wall surrounding an inner space, a supporting structure within said inner space and separated from said wall, said supporting structure comprising a plurality of guide channel members adapted to having heel attaching pins passed therethrough and reaching from about the ground level of the heel to where the heel comes into contact with the shoe, and means for retaining said guide channel members in their spaced positions, said heel being provided with an elongation protruding from the upper end of the heel front and being suitably shaped for the purpose of supporting the joint of the shoe.

7. A shoe having a hollow heel of thin metal,

nel members adapted to have heel attaching pins 5 passed therethrough and reaching from about the ground level of the heel to where the heel comes into contact with the shoe, and attaching pins passed through said guide channel members, the upper ends of said pins projecting upwardly from said guide channel members through the sole of the shoe and then downwardly again through said sole.

8. A heel for footwear, consisting of a hollow body the wall of which surrounds an inner space, said body being provided with a transverse partition at a distance from its lower edge so as to form a recess at the bottom of said body, and upright guides having channels -for receiving pins or nails, said guides being arranged circumferentially within said inner space and extending upwardly from said partition, the latter having openings in line with said guides.

9. A heel for footwear, consisting of a hollow body the wall of which surrounds an inner space, said body being provided with a transverse partition at a distance from its lower edge so as to form a recess at the bottom of said body, guide channel members for receiving pins or nails, said members being arranged circumferentially within said inner space and extending upwardly from said partition, said members and said partition being integral, and a lling piece disposed in the recess below sai-d partition.

ALBERT voN HAirN. 

